Baskin-Robbins Honors Burbank Franchisee With Franchisee of the Year Award & New Ice Cream Shop
-Varuzh Tirityan Named 2013 Baskin-Robbins Franchisee of the Year-

CANTON, Mass., Aug. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Baskin-Robbins, the world's largest chain of ice cream specialty shops, has named Varuzh Tirityan of Burbank, Calif., as the 2013 Baskin-Robbins Franchisee of the Year -- one of the company's highest distinctions. The award recognizes franchisees who excel in all areas of the Baskin-Robbins system, including restaurant operations, guest service, marketing, training and technology.

As Franchisee of the Year, Tirityan received an award valued at $125,000 to be used toward the development of a new Baskin-Robbins standalone restaurant in his market. Tirityan currently owns and operates four Baskin-Robbins shops in the Burbank, Calif. area. His new shop will be located in the San Fernando Valley.

"We are proud to honor Varuzh as our Baskin-Robbins Franchisee of the Year for everything he does to move the brand forward," said Nigel Travis, Chairman and CEO of Dunkin' Brands. "Varuzh is known by his peers as the 'man who never sleeps,' constantly working to deliver on our brand promise of 'more flavors and more fun' to his guests. We couldn't think of a more deserving franchisee for this honor."

Tirityan became a Baskin-Robbins franchisee more than 17 years ago following a career with Baskin-Robbins Corporate. His first shop on Victory Blvd. in Burbank was an existing store that he took great pride in turning into one of the company's most successful locations. Every few years, he added another location, controlling his growth and ensuring that each location received special attention and thrived. His fifth location and first to be built from the ground-up will open next year.

"It's such a great honor to be named Baskin-Robbins Franchisee of the Year," said Tirityan. "I am lucky to be able to do the work that I love, and I have great employees who work hard alongside me to make all of our stores successful. This award belongs to them as much as it does to me."

Baskin-Robbins franchisees enjoy convenient hours of operation, minimal equipment and little product waste. They also benefit from world-class training programs and comprehensive operating systems designed to help build business. The brand is currently offering development incentives, including 50% off the 20-year initial franchise fee and reduced royalty rates for the first five years, to encourage new growth across the country for both new and existing franchisees.

To learn more about Baskin-Robbins franchise opportunities in California and available incentives, Baskin-Robbins is hosting a live webinar on September 10 at 3 p.m. PDT. To register and learn more, please visit http://franchisingevents.dunkinbrands.com.

About Baskin-RobbinsNamed the top ice cream and frozen dessert franchise in the United States by Entrepreneur magazine's 31st annual Franchise 500® ranking, Baskin-Robbins is the world's largest chain of ice cream specialty shops. Baskin-Robbins creates and markets innovative, premium hard scoop ice cream and soft serve, custom ice cream cakes and a full range of beverages, providing quality and value to consumers at 7,300 retail shops in nearly 50 countries. Baskin-Robbins was founded in 1945 by two ice cream enthusiasts whose passion led to the creation of more than 1,000 ice cream flavors and a wide variety of delicious treats. In 2013, more than 13 million ice cream cakes were sold in Baskin-Robbins shops worldwide. Headquartered in Canton, Mass., Baskin-Robbins is part of the Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: DNKN) family of companies. For further information, visit www.BaskinRobbins.com.